Orphy Robinson is an award winning vibraphonist. Robinson, a multi-instrumentalist, also plays the saxophone, trumpet, drums, piano, marimba and steel pans . Orphy (an in demand and versatile composer) has written music for television, film, theater, opera and contemporary classical music. Orphy is from London, UK—an acclaimed soloist who consistently works across a variety of eclectic musical forms (e.g. jazz, free jazz, free improvisation, jazz fusion, and funk music.
He released two critically acclaimed solo albums on the famous Blue Note label in the 1990s, "When Tomorrow Comes" and "The Vibes Describes",which was launched at the world famous Montreal Jazz Festival has recorded numerous albums as an in demand guest musician. He has also toured or appeared with many high profile artists,including the famed Soft Machine alumni Hugh Hopper and the respected composer Robert Wyatt. Audiences discovered his playing while he played with the ground-breaking saxophonist Courtney Pine in the 1980s big band Jazz Warriors (which was the fore runner to the hugely successful Jazz Jamaica all stars orchestra) Orphy was also an original member of the Brit Funk Band Savanna which was where he first came to the notice of critics and audiences alike.
His work as a composer has led to commissions for Contemporary Dance companies like the Phoenix Dance for whom he was commissioned to write the Suite "42 Shades in the black"and subsequently represented Great Britain at the Atlanta Olympic Games,Has written for the English Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and for the Romanian violin virtuoso Alex Balanesacu.He was Commissioned in 2007 for the UK celebration of the Abolition of Slavery Act,where he was invited to perform solo marimba extracts from his suite "Routes through Roots"in the Houses of Parliament. He is also well known for his ground-breaking work in education with schools and large scale education projects including the Famous East End theatre The Hackney Empire were he has led the music Education department successfully for 6 years. run-on sentence
Orphy has also worked with artist such as saxophonist David Murray, Don Cherry, John Tcichai, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, Hugh Masekela, Louis Moholo, Nana Vasconceles, Andy Sheppard, Evan Parker, Butch Morris, Springheel Jack, Sonny Murray, Mica Paris, Imagination, Savanna, Central Line, Junior Giscombe, Kenny Thomas, Jean Paul Maunick, Kate Havnevik, Neneh Cherry and many others. Orphy has continued working with award winning saxophonist Andy Sheppard and regularly conducts up to 200 saxophonists for Andy Sheppard’s Saxophone Massive at various jazz festivals and other events. Robinson is currently writing albums for two solo projects that will be ready for release in early 2009.
Source: Wikipedia
